Usage of blood products in multiple-casualty incidents: the experience of a level I trauma center in Israel.
OBJECTIVE
To predict how much blood will be needed based on the number of injured patients arriving after a multiple-casualty incident.


METHODS
A retrospective study evaluating data collected in 18 consecutive terrorist attacks in the city of Tel Aviv between January 1997 and February 2005.


METHODS
A large, urban trauma center.


METHODS
A total of 986 patients in 18 events.


METHODS
Number of packed red blood cell (PRBC) units transfused per patient.


RESULTS
A total of 332 U of PRBCs were transfused. Half of the PRBC units were administered as massive transfusions to 4.7% of the patients. The number of PRBC units transfused per patient index (PPI) was related to incident size (mean [SD], 0.70 [1.60] to 1.50 [1.60]). The most frequent major blood group transfused was type O (50%). Half of the units of PRBCs were supplied during the first 2 hours.


CONCLUSIONS
One unit of blood per evacuated victim is sufficient in a small multiple-casualty incident and 2 U is sufficient in a large multiple-casualty incident. Half of the PRBC units should be blood group O.
Soffer
Dror
D
The Yitzhak Rabin Trauma Center, Division of Surgery B, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman St, 64239 Israel. sofferdror@hotmail.com
Klausner
Josef
J
Bar-Zohar
Dan
D
Szold
Oded
O
Schulman
Carl I
CI
Halpern
Pinchas
P
Shimonov
Avigail
A
Hareuveni
Mara
M
Ben-Tal
Ofira
O
D001771:Blood Banks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D023481:Terrorism; D014193:Trauma Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014218:Triage; D014505:Urban Population